Multiple-cavity vapor cell structure for micro-fabricated atomic clocks, magnetometers, and other devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9601225-B2
Application number	US-201514862503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus includes a vapor cell having multiple cavities fluidly connected by one or more channels. At least one of the cavities is configured to receive a first material able to dissociate into one or more gases that are contained within the vapor cell. At least one of the cavities is configured to receive a second material able to absorb at least a portion of the one or more gases. The vapor cell could include a first cavity configured to receive the first material and a second cavity fluidly connected to the first cavity by at least one first channel, where the second cavity is configured to receive the gas(es). The vapor cell could also include a third cavity fluidly connected to at least one of the first and second cavities by at least one second channel, where the third cavity is configured to receive the second material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vapor cell, comprising:
a first wafer;
a second wafer positioned adjacent to the first wafer, the second wafer defining a first opening, a second opening independent of the first opening, and a third opening independent of the first opening and the second opening; and
a third wafer arranged with the second wafer and the first wafer to enclose:
a first cavity overlapping with the first opening;
a second cavity overlapping with the second opening and fluidly connected with the first cavity; and
a third cavity overlapping with the third opening and fluidly connected with the second cavity.

2. The vapor cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dissociable material deposited in the first cavity, the dissociable material initiated to dissociate a gas to be transferred to the second cavity.

3. The vapor cell of claim 2 , wherein the dissociable material is deposited on the first wafer and facing the first cavity.

4. The vapor cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a getter material deposited in the third cavity, the getter material configured to absorb a gas transferred to the second cavity.

5. The vapor cell of claim 4 , wherein the dissociable material is deposited on the third wafer and facing the third cavity.

6. The vapor cell of claim 1 , wherein the second wafer is positioned between and secured to the first wafer and the third wafer.

7. The vapor cell of claim 1 , wherein the first wafer is substantially transparent to ultra violet radiation.

8. The vapor cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first channel defined in the second wafer, the first channel fluidly connecting the first cavity with the second cavity; and
a second channel defined in the second wafer, the second channel fluidly connecting the second cavity with the third cavity.

9. A vapor cell, comprising:
a first wafer;
a second wafer positioned adjacent to the first wafer, the second wafer defining a first opening and a second opening independent of the first opening; and
a third wafer arranged with the second wafer and the first wafer to enclose:
a first cavity overlapping with the first opening; and
a second cavity overlapping with the second opening and fluidly connected with the first cavity.

10. The vapor cell of claim 9 , further comprising:
a dissociable material deposited in the first cavity, the dissociable material initiated to dissociate a gas to be transferred to the second cavity.

11. The vapor cell of claim 10 , wherein the dissociable material is deposited on the first wafer and facing the first cavity.

12. The vapor cell of claim 9 , further comprising:
a getter material deposited in the second cavity, the getter material configured to absorb a gas received from the first cavity.

13. The vapor cell of claim 12 , wherein the dissociable material is deposited on the third wafer and facing the second cavity.

14. The vapor cell of claim 9 , wherein the second wafer is positioned between and secured to the first wafer and the third wafer.

15. The vapor cell of claim 9 , wherein the first wafer is substantially transparent to ultra violet radiation.

16. The vapor cell of claim 9 , further comprising:
a channel defined in the second wafer, the channel fluidly connecting the first cavity with the second cavity.

17. A system, comprising:
a first wafer;
a second wafer positioned adjacent to the first wafer, the second wafer defining a first opening and a second opening independent of the first opening;
a third wafer arranged with the second wafer and the first wafer to enclose:
a first cavity overlapping with the first opening; and
a second cavity overlapping with the second opening and fluidly connected with the first cavity; and

an illumination source configured to direct radiation to one of the first cavity or the second cavity.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a dissociable material deposited in the first cavity, the dissociable material initiated to dissociate a gas to be transferred to the second cavity.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the dissociable material is deposited on the first wafer and facing the first cavity.

20. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a getter material deposited in the second cavity, the getter material configured to absorb a gas received from the first cavity.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the dissociable material is deposited on the third wafer and facing the second cavity.

22. The vapor cell of claim 9 , wherein the second wafer is positioned between and secured to the first wafer and the third wafer.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first wafer is substantially transparent to ultra violet radiation.

24. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a channel defined in the second wafer, the channel fluidly connecting the first cavity with the second cavity.

25. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a photodetector configured to measure the radiation passing through the second cavity; and
a clock generation circuitry coupled to the photodetector, the clock generation circuitry configured to generate a clock signal based on the measured radiation.

26. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a photodetector configured to detect the radiation passing through the second cavity; and
a magnetic field calculator coupled to the photodetector, the magnetic field calculator configured to generate a magnetic field measurement based on the detected radiation.

27. A vapor cell, comprising:
a first wafer;
a second wafer positioned adjacent to the first wafer, the second wafer defining a first opening, a second opening independent of the first opening, and a third opening independent of the first opening and the second opening;
a third wafer arranged with the second wafer and the first wafer to enclose:
a first cavity overlapping with the first opening;
a second cavity overlapping with the second opening and fluidly connected with the first cavity; and
a third cavity overlapping with the third opening and fluidly connected with the second cavity; and

a getter material deposited in the third cavity, the getter material configured to absorb a gas transferred to the second cavity.

28. A vapor cell, comprising:
a first wafer;
a second wafer positioned adjacent to the first wafer, the second wafer defining a first opening and a second opening independent of the first opening;
a third wafer arranged with the second wafer and the first wafer to enclose:
a first cavity overlapping with the first opening; and
a second cavity overlapping with the second opening and fluidly connected with the first cavity; and

a getter material deposited in the third cavity, the getter material configured to absorb a gas transferred to the second cavity.

29. A system, comprising:
a first wafer;
a second wafer positioned adjacent to the first wafer, the second wafer defining a first opening and a second opening independent of the first opening;
a third wafer arranged with the second wafer and the first wafer to enclose:
a first cavity overlapping with the first opening; and
a second cavity overlapping with the second opening and fluidly connected with the first cavity;

an illumination source configured to direct radiation to one of the first cavity or the second cavity; and
a getter material deposited in

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Parsa Roozbeh
• Hopper Peter J
• French William

Classifications

• G21K5/08 Primary

  Holders for targets or for other objects to be irradiated · CPC title

• F17C13/00

  Details of vessels or of the filling or discharging of vessels · CPC title

• H05K13/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components · CPC title

• H03L7/26

  using energy levels of molecules, atoms, or subatomic particles as a frequency reference · CPC title

• G04F5/14 Primary

  using atomic clocks · CPC title